Do You Have A Morning Routine?

Let's talk about morning routines! Following a system when you first wake up, means you'll have more time to reflect in a quiet atmosphere, especially if you're a mom...Hahaha who am I kidding?! A daily habit helps you create energy and the right "mindset" to tackle the challenges of a busy day.

Cocoa Beach, FL at Sunrise

Here's what I do every morning and why:

Wake Up

Okay, so I know waking up is kind of assumed in all of this, but I still think it's super important to include this as the first step as often as it can be the hardest.

I sleep like the dead. If you're anything like me, you'll have more than one alarm set. More like two...maybe three...maybe four. Yeah, definitely four alarms to make sure I'm awake and out of bed. Mark sleeps right through them, so I can have them as loud as I want.

Make The Bed

Unless Mark is still sleeping (and he usually is at 6AM), I always make the bed (or at least straighten it out). This is an obstacle I have in place, so I don't crawl back into bed. If my son's in bed, he'll usually move over to hog my pillow, so I literally can't get back in bed (he even does this when I go to the bathroom in the middle of the night).

Bathroom Routine

The next thing I do is wash my face. I use the Clean and Clear Morning Burst Facial Cleanser because the smell really wakes me up. As soon as I finish with that, while I'm brushing my teeth, I use the restroom and lay out my makeup and brushes. If it's a gym day, I skip the makeup (no point of clogging the pores that I'll soon be sweating out of).

Morning Smoothie & Breakfast

If you need a quick pick me up, you should try making a smoothie. They help you get the necessary nutrients and vitamins in a simple and tasty form. My personal favorite consists of 1/2 a banana, 1/4 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup mango, 1/4 cup of coconut water, 1 cup orange juice and a packet of greens. Blends all the ingredients together. Make it as thick or smooth as you want by adding or subtracting water. It tastes great!

While that sits in the blender, I grab some eggs and bacon and whip up some breakfast. I know I have eggs and bacon a lot, but they're my favorite. I know it can be boring sometimes, but it works for me. Find something that is simple, healthy and works for you.

Daily Vitamins

Daily vitamins are a must for anyone, and you'll feel better about your day if you take them on a consistent basis. My It Works supplements routine is as follows:

My Greens!

1. During breakfast - well, in my shake, I mix in my greens.
2. 30 minutes after breakfast, I take ThermoFit to boost my metabolism.
3. 30 minutes after lunch, I take my second dose of ThermoFit.
4. With my afternoon snack, I have more greens mixed in a bottle of water.
5. 30 minutes after dinner, I have my Fat Fighters (my dinners are usually the heaviest meal of the day).
6. 30 mins before bed, I have my Hair Nails Skin.

Blogger, Emails and Social Networking

Gym Days: This step is pushed back until after my morning shower when I get home from the gym. My son usually wakes up as soon as I finish with my emails, kind of like perfect timing.

Relax Days: I do this after I have finished breakfast and watched the news. It's pretty much the only time I get to myself. I enjoy the time I have when mini me isn't begging me to put on Nick Jr.

Maintaining A Food and Activity Journal

My Planner

Yes, this is a step. I actually keep this within my planner. I know what days I'll be heading to the gym and what days I'll be heading to the grocery store to prep my future meals for the upcoming days. This is another aspect of your morning that you probably don't want to do, but need to do if you want to lose weight. Maintaining a food and activity journal helps you see exactly what you're putting into your body.

Get Dressed and Go...

Gym Days: I quickly finish breakfast, throw on my clothes, grab my Gatorade and head out the door without anyone noticing.

Relax Days: I finish my e-mails, get Mark up and we both get dressed. I fix him some breakfast and place him in front of Nick Jr. until we have to leave for his My Gym class. During that time, while eating his cereal or eggs, he's watching Paw Patrol, watching stories on his tablet or following my mom around while she gets ready for work.

I've been able to get a lot accomplished in two hours while Mark is asleep, even get a decent workout in at Planet Fitness, which is about 20 minutes from my house.

If you're starting from scratch, it's best to build up your routine. I didn't just go from zero to this. Over time, I added in one thing here and one thing there and it's all piled up on top of each other.

My morning routine gets me feeling productive (important) and awake (very important) and ideally yours will do the same. I do this routine every morning, even if I need to be somewhere early. And, I'm definitely not a morning person - 100% a night owl here.

Figure out what works best for you!

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~Meredith